Prevention Guidelines, Men Ages 50 to 64

Screening tests and vaccines are an important part of managing your health. A screening test is done to find diseases in people who don't have any symptoms. The goal is to find a disease early so lifestyle changes and checkups can reduce the risk of disease. Or the goal may be to detect it early to treat it most effectively. Screening tests are not used to diagnose a disease. But they are used to see if more testing is needed. Health counseling is important, too. Below are guidelines for these, for men ages 50 to 64. Talk with your healthcare provider to make sure you’re up-to-date on what you need.

Screening

Who needs it

How often

Alcohol misuse

All men in this age group

At routine exams

Blood pressure

All men in this age group

Yearly checkup if your blood pressure is normal

Normal blood pressure is less than 120/80 mm Hg

If your blood pressure reading is higher than normal, follow the advice of your healthcare provider

Colorectal cancer

All men at average risk in this age group

Multiple tests are available and are used at different times. Possible tests include:

Flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years, or

Colonoscopy every 10 years, or

CT colonography (virtual colonoscopy) every 5 years, or

Yearly fecal occult blood test, or

Yearly fecal immunochemical test every year, or

Stool DNA test, every 3 years

If you choose a test other than a colonoscopy and have an abnormal test result, you will need to follow-up with a colonoscopy. Screening recommendations advice vary varies among expert groups. Talk with your healthcare provider about which tests are best for you.

Some people should be screened using a different schedule because of their personal or family health history. Talk with your healthcare provider about your health history.

Depression

All men in this age group

At routine exams

Type 2 diabetes or prediabetes

All men beginning at age 45 and men without symptoms at any age who are overweight or obese and have 1 or more other risk factors for diabetes

At least every 3 years (yearly if your blood sugar has already begun to rise)

Type 2 diabetes

All men with prediabetes

Every year

Hepatitis C

Men at increased risk for infection – talk with your healthcare provider

At routine exams. All men ages 50 to 70 should be tested at least once for hepatitis C.

High cholesterol or triglycerides

All men in this age group

At least every 5 years

HIV

All males ages 15 to 65 and younger or older men at increased risk. Talk with your healthcare provider

At routine exams

Lung cancer

Adults age 55 to 74 who in fairly good health and are at higher risk for lung cancer defined as current smokers or persons who have quit within past 15 years, and have a 30-pack-year smoking history (Eligibility criteria may vary across major organizations; Age limit may extend to age 80.)

Talk with your healthcare provider for more information.

Yearly lung cancer screening with a low-dose CT scan(LDCT)

Obesity

All men in this age group

At routine exams

BMI (body mass index)

All men in this age group3

Every year, to help find out if you are at a healthy weight for your height

Prostate cancer

Starting at age 45, talk to healthcare provider about risks and benefits of digital rectal exam (DRE) and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening1

At routine exams

Syphilis

Men at increased risk for infection – talk with your healthcare provider

At routine exams

Tuberculosis

Men at increased risk for infection – talk with your healthcare provider

Ask your healthcare provider

Vision

All men in this age group (2)

Men ages 40 to 54: every 2 to 4 years if no risk factors for eye disease (2)

Men ages 55 to 64: every 1 to 3 years if no risk factors for eye disease (2)

All men in this age group who have no record of this infection or vaccine

2 doses; second dose should be given at least 4 weeks after the first dose

Hepatitis A

Men at increased risk for infection – talk with your healthcare provider

2 or 3 doses (depending on the vaccine) given at least 6 months apart; check with your healthcare provider

Hepatitis B

Men at increased risk for infection – talk with your healthcare provider

2 or 3 doses (depending on the vaccine) over 6 months;check with your healthcare provider. The second dose should be given 1 month after the first dose; the third dose should be given at least 2 months after the second dose and at least 4 months after the first dose.

Haemophilus influenzae Type B (HIB)

Men at increased risk for infection – talk with your healthcare provider

1 to 3 doses

Influenza (flu)

All men in this age group

Once a year

Measles, mumps, rubella (MMR)

Men in this age group through their late 50s who have no record of these infections or vaccines

1 or 2 doses; ask your healthcare provider

Meningococcal ACWY (MenACWY)

Men at increased risk for infection – talk with your healthcare provider

1 or more doses depending on your case. Then a booster every 5 years if you are still at risk. Check with your healthcare provider.

Meningococcal B (MenB)

Men at increased risk for infection - talk with your healthcare provider

2 or more doses, depending on the vaccine and your case; check with your healthcare provider

PPSV23: 1 to 2 doses through age 64, or 1 dose at 65 or older (protects against 23 types of pneumococcal bacteria)

Tetanus/diphtheria/pertussis (Td/Tdap) booster

All men in this age group

Td every 10 years, or a 1-time dose of Tdap instead of a Td booster after age 18, then Td every 10 years

Zoster recombinant (RZV)

All men ages 50 and older

2 doses given 2 to 6 months apart

Zoster live (ZVL)

All men ages 60 and older

1 dose

Counseling

Who needs it

How often

Diet and exercise

Men who are overweight or obese

When diagnosed, and then at routine exams

Sexually transmitted infection prevention

Men at increased risk for infection – talk with your healthcare provider

At routine exams

Daily low-dose aspirin

Men ages 40 to 70 years who are not at increased risk of bleeding and are at high risk of cardiovascular disease 4; talk with your healthcare provider

At routine exams

Use of statins

Men ages 20 to 75 years who have an LDL-C level of more than 190 mg/dL (4)

At routine exams, or more often as directed by your healthcare provider. Statin dosages may vary based on your overall health, risk factors, and other health conditions such as diabetes. Check with your healthcare provider. (4)